Covering Letter Plan

For Finalists in Earth Sciences and Engineering

Here is an example of how to set out your covering letter to accompany your CV. If you are using email, your and the employer’s email addresses are sufficient. Both email and letter are formal businesslike documents; so you would start either with Dear …………. .

Section 1

Your address,

Date

Job title of the person you are contacting,

Organisation name

Address

Dear Mr ………/ Mrs ………./ Ms. ……….,

This is the format you would use on paper.

Section 2

Here you should give factual details - currently studying BSc / MSci ………………… at Imperial College London.

Indicate what kind of opportunity you are looking for : vacation work in geological / engineering consultancy/ XXXXX energy company where I can gain experience in ……….. / develop my interest in ………… .

Section 3

This can comprise two or three paragraphs.

You should include concisely expressed information relevant to your application from the following :-

Your studiese.g. any special interests developed through the first year of your course / by the end of your final year

Such as geophysics, sedimentary geology.

And say why you are interested in learning and applying them.

Field work
Techniques you enjoy using - mapping, GIS, statistics
Independent projects
Research project

You can give a brief overview of what you achieved.

Mention use of broader skills such as organising, planning your work, time management, collaborating/ liaising with others in or outside your department.

Special lectures organised by your department, student society or professional body.

Chose one or two from the above and give edited highlights.

Section 4

Try to say in your own words why this particular consultancy / company / not for profit organisation is attractive to you.

Section 5

State that you have enclosed or attached your CV and that you look forward to meeting them at interview[ or some positive statement of this sort].

Yours sincerely follows with your word processed name a few lines down. Your signature goes in the intervening space.

N.B Fuller information about your course, projects, work experience, other skills and activities needs to appear in your CV for the two documents to reinforce one another. You reinforce the messages you want to get across to the employer and thus persuade them to interview you.

Notes written by F.McEwen, Careers Advisory Service